Why the heck is this event not in the Olympics?

[Archae]

I could have got a gold medal!

Competitors Take A Dive

Long the preferred diving method for pain-starved adolescents, the cannonball now has its very own competition.

Fifty-four athletes from three countries gathered in the German city of Bayreuth to vie for the honor of calling themselves world champion cannonballers.

As 800 fans cheered on, the home team dominated: Germans Christian Guth, Patrick Baumann and Brian Mueller took the top three spots, respectively.

The event's Web site explains the dive as jumping into the water in a compact position, like a package or ball. Another necessity is hitting the water rear-end first, which causes more than a few bruises.

Athletes jumped from a 30-foot platform and were judged on technical merit, originality, the intensity of the splash and facial expression. Those who showed pain were penalized.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/17/national/main563855.shtml

[Kellanved]

1. "cannonball" simply hasn't the right ring

They should have stuck with the German name "Arschbombe".

[Archae]

2. ROTFLMAO!

Oh man, you just had me laughing so hard I turned red as a beet. :D

[Kellanved]

4. heh

But it is true. This is the official homepage of the event:
http://www.arschbombe.de/

And I say it again: Cannonball just doesn't sound right.

[underpants]

3. Personally I blame the French

It's the trend of the 00's ya know.

Why not ultimate frisbee?